Lessons from My Travel

In the name of Allah, all praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. May Allah bless you with goodness, dear guests.

Introduction and Explanation

I had previously posted on social media platforms that I was at Istanbul Airport and had lost all official documents: passport, ID, and a sum of money. Many calls came from brothers, and I wanted to reassure you first that, by Allah's grace and praise be to Allah, one of the brothers, may Allah honor him, an old friend, came and helped me, him and his son, and now I am at his hospitality and will return to Jordan tonight, Allah willing. As for the money, praise be to Allah, there is no need for anything. One of the brothers asked him to book a travel ticket, so no one needs anything except your prayers.

But dear guests, I wanted to share with you what happened to me, as there are many real benefits from it, such as the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family and companions: "None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself." And I love for you not to happen to you what happened to me, to avoid what happened to me. And I think what happened to me at the airport has many lessons that we can learn from so that you do not fall into the same problem.

I have a writer here, so I do not forget, writing sixteen points of benefit from this bitter experience that I went through. The experience is not easy because I lost an amount of money that is not trivial, with a credit card, with the passport, with the ID, but praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, our Lord, means to provide us from His bounty, it is not a problem for money as it is said in money or in children. Praise be to Allah, things are fine and I do not need anything at all except your prayers, Allah willing.

Now let me mention to you the benefits of this experience, and through it, I will tell you what happened to me. I am leaving Istanbul because I want to enroll my son in a summer camp for memorizing the Quran, so we booked tickets for me and my son. I left him here to reassure him, and then I return to my country to Jordan.

Lessons and Experiences from the Experience

1. Listening to the Wife's Advice and Carrying a Shoulder Bag

My wife, may Allah reward her with goodness, said to me: "Eiad, why don't you buy a shoulder bag for the books?" I said to her: "No problem, no need, I have the things in my pocket." The first thing I advise you is to listen to your wives' words in this matter, and indeed, buy a bag that extends to the wallet. I had placed the wallet on the wallet, which had everything: the passport was slightly protruding from it, the visa card, the ID, the money, everything in one wallet. No, it is much better to wear a travel bag that is hung on your shoulder, and the bag should be protruding and not easily accessible to take things from your pocket as happened to me. The first thing I advise you very much is to wear a travel bag that hangs on the shoulder and not to rely on the wallet.

2. Recording the Driver's and Car's Number Before Boarding

When you travel from and to your country, as happened to me, I want to leave Istanbul to Amman, I want to leave from our friends where I left my son in the camp, you should take the car number and the driver's number before boarding and remember it. What happened with the brothers who booked the car is that they seem to have been unable to remember the driver's number and the car number, and the display of these things ended as soon as the service ended. Before you board the car, take the driver's number and the car number. You reach the car by photographing the number and keeping it, and it is better to write it on a piece of paper in case something happens with the mobile phone.

3. Remembering and Saving the Time of Boarding and Disembarking the Car and Arriving at the Airport

Remember and save the time of boarding the car that transports you from your place of residence in the country because you are traveling from it to your country, and disembarking from it, as well as the time of your arrival at the airport. This is very important, it will be necessary for us as we will see shortly.

4. Checking the Belongings Before Disembarking the Car

What happened to me is that the wallet fell with everything in it while I was in the taxi. Check the belongings before disembarking the car. This is very important.

5. Remembering the Gate and Corridor When Entering the Airport

Remember the gate and the corridor. I got confused about this, wasted time, and the wasted time was not in my interest as we will see. Therefore, know your condition I entered through gate number one and searched the bags. When you search the bags and put everything in the trolley, remember the corridor and remember the gate.

6. Focus and Not Being Distracted During Inspection

Focus and not being distracted by talking to anyone during inspection, retrieval of belongings, and wearing the belt. So that you know that we pass our bags through the X-ray, then what do we do? For any metal, we put it in a box, from it the money, the mobile phones, the belt, anything. When I was inspecting, one of the young men said to me: "How are you, Doctor?" I started talking to him and did not notice, praise be to Allah, I did not notice that the wallet was not with me. I put the two mobile phones that were with me, I put the belt, I put things that were in my pocket, and I did not notice that the most important thing was not with me. I was distracted by talking to them. So you have to focus and not be distracted by talking to anyone at all during inspection, retrieval of belongings, and wearing the belt.

7. Avoid Running in the Airport

Avoid running. I tell people I have what I call the "last minute syndrome." I do things at the last moment, so sometimes I run to make up for this delay. When I came out of the inspection, I started running towards the boarding gate so that I could catch up before the plane's departure time. So I had a doubt that perhaps the wallet fell from me while running. So you become not knowing your condition, did you leave the wallet in the car? Or at the inspection? Or on the way while running?

8. Immediate Contact with the Driver Upon Remembering the Loss of Belongings

If you remember losing your belongings late, you should contact the taxi immediately so that it can return and not be difficult for other passengers to board. That is, I discovered that the wallet was not with me, what should I have done? Of course, I did not have the taxi number, this was another problem. If I had the taxi number, I would have contacted the taxi immediately, saying: "Return now because my belongings are with you, return now now." If you contacted the taxi late and discovered that, for example, as happened to me, the taxi said: "Yes there is a passport but there is no money, there is no wallet." Deny the existence of a wallet. You cannot accuse him of taking your wallet or your belongings, because he may have actually exited with other passengers who took the wallet. So that the taxi does not become difficult by the exit of other people and also that we do not suspect him, contact immediately. The first thing you do in this case is to contact the taxi. Why? Because the airport is available to you to search in it, but the taxi if it is far away, it is gone from you in terms of the taxi.

9. Reporting the Loss in Several Offices

Reporting the loss and checking in the office. You should report here that you have lost your documents and belongings in more than one place at Istanbul Airport. Unfortunately, the situation is as they say, "a mess," meaning you go to one office and they tell you to go to another office. You go to that office, and they say, "We do not accept complaints, go to the public office." As a precaution, report to the police office and the "Domestic Police," also known as local police, the "Lost and Found," and various "Information Desks," which are information offices. Give them your number and tell them, "In case someone comes to you, here is my number." Take their numbers so you can call them occasionally: "Has anything come to you or not?" Because unfortunately, there is negligence, there is negligence. Glory be to Allah, one of the wondrous things that happened to me yesterday while I was sweeping, meaning I was doing a general search in the area and looking for the passport in any place, I found a Pakistani sister's passport. So, I went to hand it over to the "Lost and Found," they said: "It is not legal for us to take it from you, go to the police." I went to the police and handed it over, then I heard from friends who came to help me that they saw a Pakistani woman looking for her passport. So, the matter continued to be lost. One goes around looking for their lost items in different places, and you have to search in every "Domestic Police" and keep checking.

10. Going to the Police Station and Demanding to See the Cameras

Going to the police station immediately and demanding to see the cameras. This was the thread that was crucial in our case. When I announced yesterday that I am at Istanbul Airport, I announced openly with two goals: that everyone faces hardship and we must always and forever say Alhamdulillah, and in any case, the matter was annoying, but still, we say Alhamdulillah. The second goal was that I do not know how someone could help in finding the documents, perhaps someone would say I found, for example, your wallet and do not know how to reach you. The main thing is that when I announced, a dear brother whom I had not seen in a while came to me with his son, who speaks Turkish fluently, and he also speaks Turkish. He said, "Come, let's go to the police station." We went to the police station, one of them said, "I will show you the cameras, but I am busy now." The other was cooperative: "Come, let's see the cameras." I sat next to him, and he started showing me the cameras, and I found that the wallet was not with me at the checkpoint. Alhamdulillah, there was a clear camera from the checkpoint, so I saw myself taking out the first mobile, the second mobile, putting the belt on, toothbrush, etc., but I did not see the wallet. So, we said, "Okay, then here we have excluded the possibility that I might have forgotten it at the checkpoint." I had thought, perhaps when the young man was talking to me, did I leave the wallet on the ball when I put the belt on and forgot it, and someone took it? We said, "No, this possibility has been excluded." So, the taxi remained. We asked him, "Can we see the taxi's license plate number?" Because I had contacted my brothers who booked the taxi for me, and they could never reach the number, but they filed a complaint to Uber, and Uber said, "We will get back to you later." So, we asked him, "Can we see the taxi's license plate number?" The taxis here in Istanbul are written not only on the front and back but also on the sides, in general. So, the camera captured the number, Alhamdulillah. The police officer helped us by calling the office and obtaining the driver's phone number himself and called the driver. He said to him, "There are lost items with you." He said, "Yes, there is a passport." The police officer said, "No, there is a passport and other things, bring everything and do not run away." So, the driver confirmed that he had only found the passport. We said, "Come, let us understand when you come." The driver came, and when he came, he confirmed that he had only found the passport. He denied that he had found money or identity or visa card or wallet. Alhamdulillah, the passport is the most important thing in the matter. So, the main thing is that in the end, he denied it. Of course, we cannot accuse him, and I would not have asked the police to press him more because there is a possibility that he actually took the wallet with someone else. There are cameras in Uber taxis, but the police said, "The cameras will not be clear enough." And this man seems to be honest. If he had actually stolen, he would have confessed, Allah knows best. But as Allah willed, it happened. So, the main thing is that this point number ten, demanding to see the cameras, this was the most important thing that we knew from the cameras that the passport was not lost inside the airport, and point two, we were able to extract the taxi number and contact the taxi driver. Of course, this is a facilitation from Allah Almighty, and Alhamdulillah that the police officer cooperated with us in contacting the driver and summoning him, otherwise, many of them here are not cooperative and delay and procrastinate.

11. Trying to Leave with a Known and Trustworthy Driver

Point eleven: Trying to leave with a known and trustworthy driver. For example, in Istanbul, there are large numbers of Arabs and Muslims, so this advice is a means of livelihood that can be for most of the brothers present here, and you as travelers try to leave with someone who is known and righteous among your brothers, so that if a situation like this happens, he himself will contact you and bring you the belongings even if you pay more and do not be exposed to a situation like this. One is in a hurry while traveling, brothers with luggage, with belongings, with the passport.

12. Contacting the Bank to Stop the Lost Cards

My friend, and he is thanked and blessed by Allah in him, contacted the bank where he has the visa card, and asked them to stop the visa card, and they contacted him, and if they did not do so, it is important that Insha'Allah the visa card is stopped. This is important so that money is not withdrawn from the bank.

13. Informing Friends and Acquaintances for Help

Point number thirteen: Informing friends as I did. I posted, as I told you, intentionally on the platforms, and my friend and his son, may Allah reward them with good, helped me a lot in translation and communication with the police. And this was one of the reasons that the police had a kind of help, and the language barrier made communication very difficult. The police officer did not know English at all and Arabic at all, but with the help of my friend's son and my friend, Alhamdulillah, we understood and reached the passport at least. So, informing friends as I did is an important point.

14. Keeping the Phone Separate from Other Important Items

Keeping the phone separate from other important items. Alhamdulillah, Lord of the Worlds, the phone was with me and was not in the wallet either, and it was in another pocket. Otherwise, if the phone was also lost, it would mean that now I do not know what or where I would be, because I am weak in memory in places, and without a phone, without money, without anything, I do not know where I would go. So, Alhamdulillah, the phone was separate.

15. Avoid Restarting Your Phone at Critical Times

This is very, very important. This happened to me, but praise be to Allah, it happened to me about three days or two days ago. Do not restart your phone at the airport in the last moments when you are in a transitional stage. I was not using roaming, by the way, but I had a Turkish SIM card with me. It had a data package and internet, and I made calls through it. When I previously used roaming, it seems I responded incorrectly or my phone rang incorrectly to some friends, and a huge bill appeared for calls I did not intend or were made by mistake. So, I did not like to use roaming anymore. The important thing is that a few days ago, my GPS application got stuck, so I restarted it. When I restarted it, it asked me for the PIN number of the Turkish SIM card. The friend who put the SIM card on my phone, sometimes I ask him to put the SIM card for me, the one who has the SIM card forgot the card that has this PIN number with him. Praise be to Allah, I had gone to a place and sent the other place I was going to so that I would know how far it was from it. The important thing is that he was on his way to the apartment and I retrieved the PIN number, otherwise, it could have been a great loss if the mobile was also disabled. So, do not restart the phone and remember that these cards need a PIN number. If you want to restart, keep the PIN number.

16. Supplication and Seeking Refuge in Allah

And the most important thing: supplication and seeking refuge in Allah, the Most High, always. Praise be to Allah, our Lord, the Most High, tests us, but within the test, there are easements and softenings. Praise be to Allah that the test was of this size. We lost some papers, some money. Praise be to Allah who suffices us from what we have lost. We lost it and mean to retrieve it, if Allah wills, easily. But the most important thing is that I had my passport with me, otherwise, I would have had to travel to Ankara. How can I travel when I do not even have a passport? I heard that some people get lost in the country where they lost their passport for a long time and do transactions. Supplication is that Allah may facilitate for you and remove from you these trials that you are exposed to from your sins, because by Allah, my brothers, we are in need of cleansing our sins before we meet our Lord, the Most High, Allah.

Conclusion

These points I wanted to share with you so that no one experiences what I experienced, and share them with your friends and acquaintances. Asking the Lord, the Most High, to preserve our religion first and our money, and to facilitate for you a good journey in which there is obedience to Allah, the Most High, and closeness always. Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.

I think I will end the live broadcast on YouTube, I think so. Yes. And prove live broadcast.